Water-reactive filter element for smoking devices

ABSTRACT

A filter element for smoking articles such as cigarettes, cigars and pipes, wherein a resilient, waterproof housing is enclosed at the ends by means of smoke permeable material. An alternating arrangement of a plurality of frangible containers partially filled with water, and a plurality of bodies compressed water reactive sponge filtering material of such a nature as to expand rapidly upon contact with water, is located within the housing. The diameter of each of the compressed bodies is substantially equal to the inner diameter of the housing. Any adjacent pairs of frangible containers are in contact with a common compressed body therebetween. Upon the rupture of said containers, said containers collapse and break into small particles, releasing their contents into the compressed sponge filtering material which thereupon expands to occupy the space formerly occupied substantially equally by the compressed sponge filtering material and the containers. The sponge material thus moistened provides a smoker with increased smoking comfort and enjoyment because of the elimination of harshness in the smoke and the reduction of the temperature thereof.

United States Patent [72] Inventor MargaretF.Carty Plainfield, Vt. 211 Appl. No. 750,902 [22] Filed Aug. 7, 1968 [45] Patented Apr. 20, 1971 [73] Assignee The H-Z-O Filter Corporation New York, N.Y.

[54] WATER-REACTIVE FILTER ELEMENT FOR SMOKING DEVICES 1 Claim, 3 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S.Cl 131/264, l3l/l0.l, 131/173 [51] lnt.C1 A241 7/04, A24f 25/02 [50] Field ofSearch l3l/9, 10.1, 264, 173, 10.7, 263

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,808,057 10/1957 Jaksch l3l/10.1 2,815,760 12/1957 Schreus etal (l31/263UX) 3,236,244 2/1966 Irby,Jr.et 131/9X 3,366,121 1/1968 Carty l3l/10.1 3,428,049 2/1969 Leare etal 31/ 10.1 FOREIGN PATENTS 348,974 5/1931 Great Britain 131/9 740,329 11/1955 GreatBritain 1,094,642 12/1967 GreatBritain Primary Examiner-Samuel Koren Assistant ExaminerJames H. Czerwonky of such a nature as to expand rapidly upon contact with water,

is located within the housing. The diameter of each of the compressed bodies is substantially equal to the inner diameter of the housing. Any adjacent pairs of frangible containers are in contact with a common compressed body therebetween. Upon the rupture of said containers, said containers collapse and break into small particles, releasing their contents into the compressed sponge filtering material which thereupon expands to occupy the space formerly occupied substantially equally by the compressed sponge filtering material and the containers. The sponge material thus moistened provides a smoker with increased smoking comfort and enjoyment because of the elimination of harshness in the smoke and the reduction of the temperature thereof.

' PATENT ED M2019?! FIG. 5

INVQNTOR MARGARET 1-". CARTY BY Mia/ WATER-REACTIVE FILTER ELEMENT FOR SMOKING DEVICES The present invention is an improvement over my US. Pat. No. 3,366,121, granted Jan. 30, 1968, and my copending patent application, Ser. No. 662,920, filed Aug. 24, 1967, now US. Pat. No. 3,502,084, granted Mar. 24, I970, and my copending patent applications, Ser. No. 750,868 and Ser. No. 750,899, being filed concurrently herewith, using in a different structure the materials disclosed in said patent and said other applications.

In the present invention, it is contemplated that the compressed water-reactive, absorbent, expansible filtering material will be disposed in a series of bodies forming, in their dry and compressed state, transverse walls across the inner diameter of said housing and alternating with said bodies, frangible capsules or containers having a water content and being subject to rupture upon compression thereof.

For an examination of the structure of the present invention, reference is made to the drawings, in which:

FIG. I is a perspective view of the filter element;

FIG. 2 is a cross section on line 2-2 of FIG. I, showing the capsules alternately disposed between said bodies of compressed and expansible, absorbent material; and

FIG. 3 shows the same view as in FIG. 2, with the capsules ruptured and the absorbent material expanded by absorption of the water content of said capsules, with particles of the capsule walls disposed in random arrangement between said expanded bodies of absorbent material.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the filter element R in FIG. 1 comprises a resilient, waterproof housing II of substantially tubular configuration, and within each end thereof, a plug of smoke-permeable material, such as a conventional filter rod I6.

In FIG. 2, there are contained within housing 11, and in the interior 12 thereof, frangible containers I3 having a water content 14; and disposed adjacent thereto and alternately therewith, masses of absorbent, water-reactive expansible material IS, with plugs 16 shown at the opposite ends.

The frangible capsules, having been ruptured to release their contents into the adjacent material 15, are shown in FIG. 3, fragments 13 being disposed in random arrangement between the expanded bodies of absorbent material.

A smoking article such as a cigarette may have the within invention attached thereto or embodied as an integral part thereof. When a cigarette having such filter element integrally attached is to be smoked, the filter housing is compressed between the thumb and forefinger, the resilient walls of the housing permitting such compression and subsequent restoration thereof to its initial configuration upon release of the compression. Rupture of the capsules and the consequent release of their contents causes the absorbent material to expand rapidly, substantially filling the space formerly occupied by the capsules and the compressed absorbent material in their alternately disposed relationship; and such expansion creates a substantially continuous mass of moistened porous filtering material through which the smoke of the burning tobacco must pass from the lighted end of the cigarette to the opposite end, at the smokers mouth.

When such a filter device is used with a pipe, the squeezing thereof to rupture the capsules precedes insertion of the device into a chamber provided therefor within the stem of the pipe, and a similar cleansing and cooling of the smoke is found to exist when the tobacco in the pipe bowl is ignited.

Such a filterdevice may likewise be attached integrally to a cigar or used with a holder for either a cigar or a cigarette, in the same manner as described above for its use with a pipe. In each case, when used with a holder, the housing of the device is squeezed to rupture the capsules prior to insertion of the device into the holder.

Smoke thus moistened is cleansed and cooled, and certain of the products of combustion are trapped within the pores and fibers of said filtering material. As the filter housing is made of transparent, resilient walls, said mass of moistened filtering material may be seen to darken from its entrapment and re ention of said combustion products as the smoking proceeds, thus providing visual evidence that the filter has prevented those combustion products from reaching the mouth of the smoker.

In a variation of this invention for water-cleansing of the smoke from burning tobacco, the water contained in the frangible capsules may have a flavoring substance added thereto, to provide a taste sensation to the smoker, as of menthol, mint, or other desired flavor.

Having thus described the embodiment of my invention herein, it is obvious that changes in the construction and arrangement of parts may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

lclaim:

l. A filter device for smoking articles comprising a resilient, waterproof tubular housing having in each end thereof a mass of smoke-permeable material and, disposed therebetween, in alternating arrangement, a plurality of spaced, frangible bodies having a water content, and a plurality of spaced compressed, absorbent, water-reactive sponge material portions, said sponge material being in their compressed state substantially disc-shaped, each of said compressed discs being transversely disposed within said tubular housing and having a diameter substantially equal to the inner diameter of the housing, any adjacent pairs of frangible bodies being in contact with a common disc therebetween, wherein said absorbent water-reactive material portions, upon being moistened by the release of water from the frangible bodies upon rupture of the latter, expand rapidly, forming successive masses of moist, porous material for the passage of smoke drawn therethrough. 

